Diabetes pen and hep C drug listed on PBS

The federal government has approved the listing of new diabetes and hepatitis C medications on the PBS, helping patients save thousands of dollars a year.

Hepatitis C

Referring to the hepatitis C drug Maviret, local MP for Page Kevin Hogan said, “Without the listing, patients could pay more than $50,000 per course of treatment for this medicine.

Maviret works by stopping hepatitis C virus from multiplying and infecting new cells. It belongs to a class of new treatments which provide a cure for well over 90 percent of people treated.”

In addition Hepatitis Australia has been allocated $1.0 million to continue education and awareness activities to improve hepatitis C testing and treatment uptake.

Insulin Treatment for Diabetes

“People living with both type 1 and 2 diabetes will also be able to more easily regulate their blood sugar levels with the August 1 listing of Ryzodeg on the PBS,” Mr Hogan announced.

Ryzodegis a new diabetes pen containing two types of insulin.

“A basal insulin called insulin degludec, which has a long blood sugar lowering effect and a rapid-acting insulin called insulin aspart, which lowers blood sugar soon after you inject it. Patients would normally pay around $930 per year for Ryzodeg.”

These two new listing on the PBS will now mean patients will pay a maximum of $39.50 per script for these medications, or just $6.40 per script for concessional patients, including pensioners.

Mr Hogan said the Coalition Government has now subsidised more than $9 billion worth of new medicines.